Millennium
by AvA-PD
Summary: Different World, Same Quest. In the future city of Archaos, Lina and Morphling fight for the Sentinel against the tyranny of the Scourge. However, is everything that straight-forward? Includes a host of cameos from other DotA heroes.
1. Chapter 1

The skies above Archaos were grey and downcast, much like the metropolis of skyscrapers below it. Rain hounded the pedestrians, who hurried in masses through the skybridges and walkways while murmuring their unpleasantness. Easily spotted in the throng was a lady dressed in a scarlet trench coat, her face obscured with a fedora.

Her strides were long and measured, her eyes darting to and fro. The rain grew more furious and the pedestrians shivered from the cold. She persevered for the last few steps and pushed past the double doors into the agreed meeting place.

"The Bottomless Well," she muttered in disgust. "A charming pigsty."

She walked to the bar, catching the eyes and attention of everyone in the room with her feminine grace, and sat on one of the stools. The bartender, a greasy fat troll, flashed a welcoming smile and abandoned his futile attempt of cleaning the stain from his shot glass. "Anything I can get ye', miss?" he asked.

"A Flaming Dragon and make it a double. I had a long day."

"Sure thing, miss," he replied and drew two bottles from their slots, pouring a generous amount of both liquids into a cocktail glass. The troll expertly spun both bottles and slotted them back into their spaces below the counter. With a snap of his fingers, the surface of the liquid burst into a soft, blue fire and he sent the dangerous concoction sliding across the counter, right into the woman's outstretched hand.

"You seem to have a passion for fiery things."

The ends of her lips twitched into a smile. "Agent M, you are uncharacteristically early. The pouring rain must have washed you right in."

"A pyromaniac with an attitude. It never ends well, does it?" said M, taking the stool next to her. The woman spared a glance at the gentlemen beside her. In a tattered suit with shades and drenched from head to toe, M looked more like homeless beggar than a master spy. She downed the flaming drink in one go.

"You spilled some here," said M, motioning to her mouth

The woman licked the residue of fire from her lips and smacked them with satisfaction. "Do you want anything? My treat," she offered.

The man shook his head, then motioned to the entrance. "We've been compromised, but I'll hold you on that offer once we reached our destination."

"Very well," she said and sneaked a peek at the entrance. Three uniformed soldiers stepped into the pub, their eyes hidden beneath visors of skull-shaped helmets. Each of them held a laser rifle in their hands, huge and deadly. Lina allowed herself a tiny laugh. "Just those three? Shouldn't be too difficult to handle." Her glowing fingernails tapped the counter rhythmically.

M stole a glance and chuckled. "Those are Mega-class units, much more deadly than your average creep, and their heading this way."

"Don't worry, water boy. Mama will take of them."

"Follow my lead on the count of three. One—"

Orange flames shot across the room, sending everyone into a panic. "Dammit!" cursed M as his features dissolved into a column of water, surging into the officers before they had a chance to react. The force of the wave threw them against the wall, knocking them unconscious. Lina was already halfway out the door when M dispatched the last soldier. He surged through the window and appeared alongside her on the walkway.

A distant siren rang and they shared a look. "Try to keep up with me," mocked Lina and they set off running, melding into the grey picture of Archaos.

* * *

Lina loved being on the run. The chases were exhilarating and risky, the constant danger of getting caught was as addictive as a potent drug. Her superiors disapprove of her unusual fetish, but their opinions matter little to her. It was the only entertainment she had in this miserable world.

_"Father!"_

She hurdled over a park bench, twisting her body in an acrobatic grace that was more aesthetic than practical.

_"Hurry, love. They're at the door. Take Lina with you now, quickly!"_

_"Father, no!"_

Her mind started to wander, her body moving instinctively on its own through the obstacles in front of her. The voices in her head resonated from a distant past, but the pain was fresh like a wound inflicted yesterday.

_"Please, sweetheart, do as I ask."_

_"I won't leave you, Father."_

_The door blasted open, screeching as it slid across the floor. The sound of a dozen pair of boots cascaded into their small apartment, accompanied by the humming tone of multiple laser rifles._

_"Go!" her father ordered. Lina reluctantly moved, her mother's hand pulling her along. They escaped through the window and climbed down the fire escape, the steel ladder prickling and cold._

_ A round of laser fire sounded overhead, a single blaster against a platoon of rifles, then everything died down into silence. Her mother jumped the last few feet, landing firmly in the snow below. "Jump, Lina!" she called out as loudly as she dared. It did not matter._

_"Mother, behind you!"_

M grabbed her wrist and half-dragged her into a trash-filled alley. It stunk of dead corpses—which they would no doubt find if they searched for them—and the wind scattered sections of newspapers into the air, some of which struck Lina annoyingly in the face."What are you doing?" Lina asked, irritated.

M held an index finger to his lips and pointed upwards. Lina immediately knew why.

The rhythmic thudding of motor blades was audible, but only just. "Hellspawns," she whispered, and M nodded curtly. A faint smile formed on Lina's lips. Taking on an attack helicopter would no doubt be—to say the least—orgasmic, but dragging M along with her for a suicide run would be selfish.

Her transmitter emitted a wave of static the moment she thumbed it on. "Of course," she said, exasperated. "Signal jammers, such a delightful pain in the—"

"Use mine," M offered, withdrawing his own transmitter from inside his coat. "Undercover Recon, high-tech stuff."

"Why do the recon guys always get the best stuff?" complained Lina. She snatched the transmitter from his outstretched hand and dialed in the numbers. A soft chime indicated that she got a connection and patched her through to command centre.

An emotionless, computer voice replied. "Unidentified transmitter detected. Please use vocal recognition to continue."

Lina cleared her throat before answering. "Laguna, passcode seven-zero-zero-seven-six."

"We hear you loud and clear, Laguna," replied Notrom, her commanding officer. "What's your status, over."

"On foot, compromised, approximately ten klicks away from the nearest outpost with Hells patrolling overhead. You know, my daily routine," she added.

"Your bravado does little to comfort us, Laguna. We need the package delivered save and secured." Static cracked throughout the silence. "We're sending an extraction team to you now. Stay put and don't do anything stupid, understood?"

"That's a negative, HQ. Save your fuel, we'll find our own way back," M answered.

"What?" blurted Nortrom. "Your orders are too—"

Lina closed the transmitter. "I never liked him. He's too by the books and never let's me have any fun. So, what's the plan?"

M smiled. "Ever used public transport?"


	2. Chapter 2

The rush hour crowd crammed the subway station. Everyone kept their heads low and moved along quietly, right under the watchful eyes of Scourge troopers. Most pedestrians made an effort to avoid them. They wanted nothing to do with these skull-helmet thugs and their laser rifles. The same cannot be said for Lina.

"I just want to burn them all," said Lina as she gazed at one of the troopers with a lustfulness that troubled M.

"Not while I'm here," insisted M, guiding Lina away from possible trouble. "If you want to be suicidal, do it at your own leisure. Get in the queue."

The queue stretched from a security point occupied by half a dozen Scourge troopers. Beyond that was a stairway leading to the platforms. Once they get past the checkpoint, it should be easy from there on out.

"I miss my scarlet coat," Lina lamented.

M sighed. "It was too distinct. You would have had the entire Scourge platoon on your tail within seconds if you continued wearing that coat."

"But it was designer and it complimented my hair quite nicely, unlike these rags you're forcing me to wear. They itch and makes me look like a homeless beggar while you can just transform into any average bloke and be on your way. It's so not fair!"

M ignored Lina and stole a glance at the security checkpoint up ahead. "Alright, stay close and follow my lead. For real this time."

Lina smiled rather naughtily. "I'll try to behave. No promises."

"I mean it," said M, his tone dead serious. "Do not spoil the plan, alright?"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Yet the urge to go in flames ablaze slowly gnawed her from inside as the queue brought them closer to the checkpoint. "Can't I just toast just one of them? I'll promise to do it discreetly," asked Lina, almost begging.

"No," M said flatly.

"You're no fun."

"This isn't supposed to be fun. We are on a mission. The faster we're done with it the better."

"One that I'm apparently not a part of," retorted Lina. "Both you and Nortrom haven't told me anything."

"We were briefed on a need to know basis. 'Get the package to HQ', that's the order. Everything else is classified, even for me. I'm just as much in the dark as you are, Lina."

"Is that so?." With a snap of her fingers a tiny flame sprang to life, dancing lively atop of her finger. "Well then, why don't we…light things up?"

M narrowed his eyes. He grabbed Lina's finger, extinguishing the flame before anyone could notice. "Don't, and no. We are under strict orders."

Lina smiled. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"We'll be disciplined of insubordination."

"Ooh, sounds kinky. Are we going to be punished for being bad?" asked Lina playfully.

"Stop it. We're getting closer."

They were almost at the checkpoint. If any of the Scourge troopers had looked at her, they would be ringing the alarm bells within seconds.

Lina leaned towards M, whispering into his ear. "How are we getting pass—"

Alarms blared from every possible direction. "Everybody down!" shouted a Scourge trooper, shooting into the ceiling to emphasise his point. M hauled Lina to the ground, just before half a dozen troopers stormed right pass them with their rifles firing. From her lowly vantage point, Lina could barely make out the flapping ends of her red coat running across the station and away from them

"Wait a minute, that's my coat."

"I know. I made a replicate of you and had it wear your coat. The moment they get close enough they will realise it was a decoy," explained M.

"But my coat—"

"There's no time for it," interrupted M, dragging Lina by the arm through the abandoned security checkpoint.

"That was my favourite coat, water boy. You owe me big."

M flashed a rare smile.

* * *

Lina and M followed the crowd out of the subway. Surprisingly, there were no Scourge units in or around the station. Still, thought M, we should stay frosty. All Lina could think about was the feather-soft bed in her quarters.

"It's nearly midnight. I'm sure they've given up on us," said Lina as M checked his scanner. They were in an alleyway like a thousands others in the city except that it housed the entrance to the Sentinel headquarters. The key was to find the door engraved with a tree within a circle.

The scanner finally beeped and not a moment too soon for Lina. "No units detect. Area clear," said the scanner in a drone voice.

"Satisfied, water boy?" said Lina, not waiting for M to reply. She gave the door three hard knocks.

"Who is it?" said someone with a squeaky voice.

"Those that stand vigil on the darkest of nights," Lina replied quickly, so quick that her words nearly came out all at once.

"If the night's so dark, what's the point? You can't see anything" said someone else with an even higher voice, which was accompanied with a pair of sniggers.

Lina's eyes narrowed. "Squee! Spleen! I've given you the passphrase so open the door. Don't make me burn it down!"

The door clicked and swung open, revealing a trio of goblins in guard uniforms that were too large for them. "It was Squee and Spoon. I'm innocent!" cried Spleen from the desk.

"I don't care!" shouted Lina, nearly trampling over Spoon as she bulldozed her way past.

"Ouch! You stepped on my toe," wailed Spoon and then turned to M, who was still waiting outside. "Who're you?"

M titled his head in greeting. "Agent M from Recon. I have a package for your superiors."

"Sure, sure. Come on through," said the goblin, motioning impatiently with his hand. "Second door on the right, though I'm sure you already knew that since your Recon. "

"Oh, and I'd stay away from the firestarter when you meet the boss," whispered Spleen.

M cocked an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"You'll see," said Squee, leaning back on his chair. The trio sniggered in unison.

M proceeded to the door, which was already opened, and peered into the room. It was small and empty, probably a room once used for storage. The paint on the walls were coming off, exposing the foundation underneath. Cobwebs decorated the corners of the ceiling and a fat spider sat in one of them.

"That's doesn't look like a real spider," said M.

"Take it up with R&D. They're the ones that come up with these gizmos," replied Lina. "Come on, get in and close the door."

M closed the door behind him and Lina showed the thumbs up to the spider. The floor shuddered and began to descend into the ground, the worn-out walls replaced with metal. The trip was brief and ended in the lobby of the Sentinel headquarters. A receptionist was stationed in the middle of the lobby with corridors sprouting to left, right and behind.

Lina approached the receptionist in her circular table, who was busy typing away on her keyboard. "Laguna, reporting in," said Lina.

"Welcome back, Laguna. Do you have the package?" said the receptionist without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Yeah, right here with Agent M."

The receptionist turned to Agent M then returned to her screen. "Welcome, Agent M. You will find Nortrom in the debriefing room. He's expecting the both of you."

"Does he really want to do this now?" complained Lina. When the receptionist continued to type away without reply Lina turned to leave, cursing under her breath.

Lina and M found Nortrom in the debriefing room, dressed in a maroon suit with his long blonde hair tied back. He looked up from the holographic map of the city with an expression of utter relief. "Finally, you're here! Do you have the package?"

"Let's keep this short. I can barely keep my eyes open," answered Lina as M handed the package over.

"Very well," said Nortrom as he handed a file each to Lina and M in exchange for the package. "I hope you're feeling social. You have a function to attend."

Lina scanned the contents of the file, her brows furrowing deeper with each sentence. "This function is in eighteen hours. I've just returned from a mission. Why can't you give this to someone else?"

"All other agents are out in the field, Lina. I wouldn't do this if I had any other choice," explained Nortrom.

"Fine," grumbled Lina, too tired to argue. All she wanted now was her bed. "Am I dismissed?"

"You are, and don't forget to read the mission objectives," said Nortrom, waving his hand. Lina was nearly out of the door when Nortrom called, "Oh, and use this."

Lina caught the canister that was thrown by Nortrom. The label read: Black hair colouring. She glowered bitterly at Nortrom and stormed off. M feared that the next person to tick Lina off might turn into ash.


	3. Chapter 3

Lina slammed the sun visor back in its place, nearly shattering its mirror, and gaze out into the busy streets of Archaos. The lights from passing cars shone into her eyes in a rhythm; it was nearly hypnotic. She had not said a word since leaving the headquarters and M was contemplating whether to say something.

_Should I? _thought M. _She'll think that I find her vain. Still, her silence is very worrying. I'll have to choose my words wisely. _M cleared his throat. "You still look as beautiful as you did before." _Oh my goodness, that came out horribly._

"I'm fine," said Lina, though she looked far from it. She quickly changed the topic. "Let's run through the mission objectives."

"Go for it."

"First, we enter Mayor Furion's mansion and attend the party," began Lina. "Once inside the party, one of us will search the estate for Agent Tracker while the other keeps a look out at the main event. Once we find him, we slip out and return to HQ."

"Good," acknowledged M. "So you know the objectives. All you need to do now is stick to them."

For the first time on this trip, Lina smiled. "The plan sounds simple enough on paper but I'm willing to bet they'll have that mansion clamped down tight. We are going to have to improvise at one point."

"I sure hope it doesn't come to that. I'd welcome a simple hostage rescue," said M and Lina chuckled.

M took a right turn and the mansion came into view. It was located at the edge of Archaos, on a green hill in an expansive estate. The mansion could have been the definition of lavish with its beautifully decorated pillars and framed windows. The sheer size of the mansion daunted Lina and M.

"It's a good thing Tracker's GPS is still working. I don't think we'd have enough time to locate him otherwise," said M.

Lina remained silent until she spoke. "I can't stop thinking about them."

The seriousness of her voice caught M off guard. "Who?" he managed to asked.

"My parents. I've…I've been having nightmares about them."

They allowed the silence to lengthen between them. M drove into the estate, watched vigilantly by the Scourge troopers around. He slowed the car as they approached the slow moving queue to the mansion. He took a deep breath and said, "I lost my sister during the Uprising."

"How?" asked Lina.

"She was shot during one of the riots. By whose bullet I don't know nor do I want to know. She was the only family I had and she was taken from me."

There was another silence. "I'm sorry," said Lina finally.

"What about your parents?"

A tear streaked down Lina's cheek. "Murdered by a Scourge platoon. My parents were with the Sentinel and they were compromised." Lina chuckled sadly. "It seems both of us have lost something to this war."

M drove the car into the driveway where goblin valets were eager to be of service. "Don't worry. We'll get our retribution once this is all over," promised M.

Lina nodded, wiped the tear of her cheek and stepped out as the valet opened her door. A few heads turned as she exited the vehicle. The black dress fitted her perfectly, accentuating her womanly figure. Her shoulders were bare and her raven hair dropped in curls, bouncing lightly when she moved. The eye shadow around her eyes gave her a mystic allure.

M offered his arm and she took it. "Shall we?" he asked. Lina nodded.

"Just one moment, sir."

Both of them froze, their minds racing. M turned to the valet, who was holding up a cane. "You've forgotten your cane, sir," said the goblin valet.

"Thank you, my good man," said M, holding back the urge to sigh. With his cane in hand and Lina in the other, they proceeded up the steps into the mansion.

* * *

_This is a fairytale? _thought Lina

Grand chandeliers hung along the ceiling like clusters of sparkling stars. Long, full drapes cascade from the tops of their long windows, shielding the festivities within from the harsh world outside. The ballroom was lively with chatter from lovely and handsomely dressed individuals in attendance. Lina could see beyond the veil of their smiles. This was nothing more than a contest of power and wealth.

_A fairytale for criminals_

M unwounded his arm from hers. "We should split up. I'll start poking around, you keep tabs with what's going on here."

"What? You're leaving me with these people?"

M smiled, tapping his concealed earpiece. "I'll always be within contact range. Try mingling with the people here, find out as much as you can. I'll be back soon." He turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Lina suddenly left very alone. A few heads turned her way, regarding her with disapproving eyes. 'You do not belong here' was the message. Lina ignored them but with great difficulty. It would have been much so easier to burn the smugness from their faces. Lina wandered around the edge of the crowd. She could see Mayor Furion in conversation with someone that looked more wolf than man. The sight of the wolf-man made her cringe. Furion did not seem at all comfortable.

_Perhaps he does not like here as well. Once a hero of the people, now he is merely a puppet of the Scourge._

Lina found herself at one of the windows. She parted the drapes slightly but all she could see past the decorated glass was the darkness of night. Her fingers brushed the back of her ear. _No_, she thought. _I shouldn't trouble M with something so petty._

The chatter had stopped and the guests were now dancing. The music was beautiful. Lina watched solemnly from beside the drapes, hoping that it would just eat her up. _I don't belong here._

"Excuse me, miss? Could I entertain you with a dance?"

The man was tall, dressed in completely in white. He allowed his sleek blonde hair to fall freely onto his shoulders, parted in the middle. His eyes were a piercing blue; eyes that could send a chill down anyone's spine, eyes that held a certain evil in them. Lina still felt drawn to them

"I can't dance, nor would dance with a stranger," replied Lina, a small smile forming on her lips.

The man chuckled. "My apologies, sweet lady. My name is Carl."

"And I'm Lina."

"Will you entertain me with a dance now?"

"I've told you, I can't dance."

The man persisted. "I'll teach you. Come on."

Lina would not have dared to be so audacious, yet she felt confident and a certain satisfaction as Carl lead her into the middle of the ballroom. Carl held her hand in his, his other hand pulling her close. The steps came to her naturally as if she had danced all her life. They moved in and out, flawless and graceful. Lina felt a rare joy in her heart. She smiled and looked up into his eyes, surprised to see his eyes changing from blue to orange to purple.

"Your eyes," she gasped, unable to look away from them. "They change colour."

"They do indeed. Knowledge is power and I have bestow you everything I know about the art of dance."

"You…," began Lina, finding herself at a lost for words.

Carl laughed. "Do not be afraid, Lina. It is merely a gift." He spun Lina away and brought her back into his embrace. His lips were hovering inches from her ear. "You'll only need to be afraid if you cross me," he whispered.

Dread gripped Lina from inside. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," said Carl, chuckling. "I know what you are planning." Lina struggled, but Carl held her tight. "Don't worry, I haven't told my guards. I'm actually curious if you could pull it off."

"Who are you?" hissed Lina.

"I've already told you who I am, but not who I truly am." Carl released her from his grip. "It was pleasure, Lina. I do hope we meet again." He bowed, smiled an evil smile and disappeared into the crowd.

Lina walked as fast as she dared towards the exit of the ballroom. "M? Where are you? M?" she whispered, activating her earpiece multiple times.

All she got was static.


End file.
